TOPIC:

I just got back from my first ride since the restoration and my brake lamp indicator is flashing. I am questionable on my wiring and am wondering if this is some type of warning or if the light is hooked up wrong. It's a 1976 900ltd. The break light is working fine. The turn signals are not, but the switches are in the off position

When You say,"Flashing" do You mean that it flashes on and off while You are braking a solid brake?In other words,are You on and off with the lever,or holding it solid?

The indicator light on the dash of the 900 is there to let You know that You have power to the brake light(switches are good).Even if the bulb is not working,You will still get that indicator light coming on when You brake.

It blinks when i am not braking at all. and continues to blink when i press the brakes

If you have replaced your original brake light with a LED light it will blink like that too. And I hate to say it but, mine started blinking like that just before my Rec/Reg stopped working.
Ride safe.

I assume you mean blink to be sporadic and "flickery" (yeah, that's real subjectively descriptive too, huh?)

Do you notice a variation by vibration or tachs> That is, at a full stop with the engine off, it blinks just as frequently and quickly as running at different engine speeds or over a bumpy road?

I'm leaning towards "short", personally. Easiest to fix, if not easiest to diagnose or narrow.

Turn signals may not be working but frayed insulation in the harness or exposed connection may be suspect, still. Your statement makes me think you're seeing uniform even blinking, though...?

The Milkman wrote:

If you have replaced your original brake light with a LED light it will blink like that too. And I hate to say it but, mine started blinking like that just before my Rec/Reg stopped working.
Ride safe.

That's right too,Milkman...PhilcSand(Member here,but hasn't been on in quite a while)installed one of them flickering brakelights on HIS bike(not just the L.E.D. style,but an actual blinking brakelight for visibility),and as soon as He did that,His indicator light started blinking also...good call.

brawnyrebel wrote:

It blinks when i am not braking at all. and continues to blink when i press the brakes

Per FSM: [KZ900]...is equipped with the brake lamp failure indicator lamp which indicates whether or not the brake lamp is functioning properly. Brake lamp failure may be due to a burned out bulb or to some other failure in the brake lamp circuit.

As I intrepret the FSM, it goes on to say that while riding along without brakes being applied, the indicator light should normally be off, but it will flash to indicate the brake light bulb is burned out (still without brakes being applied). So if you see the indicator light flashing while you are riding along without brakes being applied, it is warning that the brake light bulb will not burn when you do apply the brakes (i.e., the brake light bulb filament is burned out). And when brakes are applied, the indicator light should be steady on regardless of brake light bulb condition.

Here's the test with engine off to determine whether the brake light failure indicator switch is functioning properly --

Turn ignition switch on (indicator lamp should stay off). Apply brakes (indicator light should turn on). With brake still applied, remove the tail light bulb (indicator light should stay lit). With tail light bulb still out of the socket, release the brake (indicator light should flash). These results indicate that the brake light failure indicator switch is functioning properly.

In your situation (blinks when not braking at all) could be simply a burned out brake light filament in the taillight bulb.

However, (continuing to blink while holding steady pressure applying the brakes) could indicate a malfunction of the brake light failure indicator switch located under the tank (three wires, being yellow, black and green/white), pluged into a 3-wire connector (same colors) from the wiring harness.

Good Luck with the repairs.

Post edited by: Patton, at: 2007/08/08 01:18